Three Starkville restaurants were the scenes of 14 citations the Mississippi Attorney General’s Office issued to minors with alcohol and fake IDs during a compliance check in three north Mississippi cities Thursday.
It was a strange experience for Guadalupe Bravo, manager of Casa Bravo on Highway 12, where authorities issued seven citations for minors in possession of alcohol.
“When (the officers) talked to the people that were caught, they said the server never checked the ID,” Bravo said. “At the same time, the server said she checked and everyone was of age.
“Maybe (the minors) didn’t show the police the fake ID and showed their real ID,” he added. “It’s one of those weird situations where we’re put in a strange spot. I was baffled about the situation. We’ve never had that happen like that before.”
Officers with the AG’s Alcohol and Tobacco Enforcement division also issued four minor in possession of alcohol citations and two fake ID citations at Drifter’s. They issued a citation for a minor in possession of alcohol at Gringo’s. Both Drifter’s and Gringo’s are restaurants in Starkville’s Cotton District.
However none of the businesses were cited for selling alcohol to minors.
Margaret Ann Morgan, a spokesperson for the AG’s office, said fake ID and minor in possession citations are issued to the individuals in violation of the law, rather than businesses. Those convicted can face a $200-$500 fine and up to 30 days of community service.
Servers beginning shifts at Casa Bravo have to sign a sheet reminding them of the “born before” date that determines who can legally purchase alcohol, Bravo said. The restaurant maintains those logs and servers have to sign a policy form acknowledging the practice when they’re hired.
Bravo tells servers to inform a manager if they’re not sure of someone’s ID, he added. After Thursday’s compliance check, he said the restaurant will be more stringent in checking IDs and may ask for second forms of identification.
“It’s unfortunate, but it’s one of those situations where everything is a learning experience,” he said. “Moving forward, we’re going to be much more careful and ask for second forms of ID, and maybe that will help eliminate that situation.”
The Dispatch could not reach representatives of Drifter’s or Gringo’s by press time.
Starkville Police Department was aware of the checks Thursday and works with the AG’s office and Alcoholic Beverage Control on compliance with alcohol laws, SPD Public Information Officer Brandon Lovelady said. He added SPD also conducts periodic alcohol compliance enforcement checks.
There’s some challenge to alcohol enforcement in a town like Starkville, which has a large underage population of students at Mississippi State University, Lovelady said.
“There’s a lot of individuals who are away from home for the first time,” he said. “They may try new things or things they didn’t have access to before coming and being free from their parents after being under their wings for 18 or so years. We want to make sure we’re taking care of them.”
Across the state
The AG’s Office also conducted compliance checks in Oxford and Cleveland on Oct. 12 and 19, where multiple businesses were cited, some with more than one violation.
Authorities issued 13 violations in Oxford, four to businesses. They recorded six violations — three on Oct. 12 and three on Oct. 19 — for minors in possession of alcohol at Rooster’s in Oxford. Three citations for fake ID were also issued at the same business on Oct. 19.
The AG’s office issued seven violations to six different businesses for selling beer to minors in Cleveland.
Businesses convicted for selling alcohol to minors can face up to $500 in fines and have their liquor license and beer permit revoked, Morgan said.
The AG’s Office issued 34 violations between the three cities.
Alex Holloway was formerly a reporter with The Dispatch.
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